Fortuna Düsseldorf facts for kids
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| Full name | Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V. |
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| Nickname(s) | Flingeraner, Fortunen, F95 | |||
| Founded | 5 May 1895 | |||
| Ground | Merkur Spiel-Arena | |||
| Capacity | 54,600 | |||
| Board members | Alexander Jobst (Chair) Klaus Allofs Arnd Hovemann |
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| Head coach | Daniel Thioune | |||
| League | 2. Bundesliga | |||
| 2020–21 | 2. Bundesliga, 5th of 18 | |||
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Fortuna Düsseldorf is a German football club from Düsseldorf. Its full name is Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895 e.V. The team plays in the 2. Bundesliga, which is the second-highest football league in Germany.
Fortuna Düsseldorf was started in 1895. The club joined the league in 1913 and was a top team from the 1920s until the Bundesliga began in 1963. Fortuna won one German championship in 1933. They also won the German Cup (DFB-Pokal) twice, in 1979 and 1980. In 1979, they reached the final of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, a big European competition, but lost to Barcelona.
Contents
- Club History: From the Start to World War II
- Fortuna After World War II
- The 1960s and 1970s: A Strong Comeback
- From the 1980s to the New Century
- Recent Seasons: Ups and Downs
- Sponsorship
- Players
- Club Achievements and Trophies
- League Performance Over the Years
- Notable Players
- Coaching Staff
- Coaches Through the Years
- Stadiums Fortuna Düsseldorf Has Played In
- Club Records and Firsts
- Rivalries and Fan Culture
- Futsal Department
- See also
Club History: From the Start to World War II
How Fortuna Düsseldorf Began
The club's story began on May 5, 1895, when a gymnastics club called Turnverein Flingern was formed. This was in a village called Flingern, which is now part of Düsseldorf. Later, two other football clubs, Düsseldorfer Fußballklub Spielverein (started in 1908) and FK Alemania 1911 (started in 1911), joined together. In 1912, they became Düsseldorfer Fußball-Club Fortuna 1911. This new club played its first season in 1913–14. Finally, in 1919, Turnverein Flingern joined Fortuna to create the club we know today: Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna.
Early Successes and a Big Win
In the late 1920s, Fortuna Düsseldorf started winning important titles. They won a local league title in 1927. In 1928, their player Ernst Albrecht was the first from the club to play for the German national team. They won another local title in 1929.
The 1930s were a very successful time for Fortuna. They won more district titles and became champions of Western Germany in 1931. Their biggest achievement was winning the German football championship in 1933. They beat Schalke 04 in the final. Fortuna was the first team to win this championship without letting in any goals in the final rounds. They beat several teams, including Schalke 04 (3–0), to become national champions.
Playing in the Gauliga and War Years
After their big win, Fortuna played in the Gauliga Niederrhein, one of the top leagues in Germany at the time. They were very strong in the 1930s, winning this division five times between 1936 and 1940. They also reached the national championship final in 1936, but lost to 1. FC Nürnberg. In 1937, they lost in the final of the Tschammerpokal, which is now called the DFB-Pokal, again to Schalke 04.
The club was moved down a league in 1942 but quickly returned the next season. In 1944–45, during World War II, they played as a combined team called Kriegsspielgemeinschaft TSV Fortuna/SC 99 Düsseldorf. However, the war ended soon after, and they only played two matches.
Some of the most famous players from this time were Paul Janes, who played for Germany many times, and Stanislaus Kobierski, who scored Germany's first-ever FIFA World Cup goal. Other important players included Ernst Albrecht and Jakob Bender.
Fortuna After World War II
After World War II, sports clubs in Germany had to be re-formed. Fortuna Düsseldorf started again in 1945. For many years, from 1947 until the Bundesliga started in 1963, they played in the Oberliga West. They were usually a middle-of-the-table team.
During this period, Fortuna reached the DFB-Pokal final three times (1957, 1958, and 1962). However, they lost all three matches to teams like Bayern Munich and 1. FC Nürnberg. Famous players from this era included Toni Turek, who was the goalkeeper for West Germany's "Miracle of Bern" team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup, and Erich Juskowiak. Later, Jupp Derwall, who became a national team coach, also played for Fortuna.
The 1960s and 1970s: A Strong Comeback
Fortuna Düsseldorf was not good enough to be one of the first 16 teams in the new Bundesliga in 1963. But they worked hard and joined the top league three years later for the 1966–67 season. They had a great start, winning 2–1 against Borussia Dortmund in their first Bundesliga game. However, they were moved down a league right away.
In 1971, Fortuna returned to the Bundesliga and stayed there for 16 seasons. They finished third in the league twice, in 1972–73 and 1973–74. On December 9, 1978, Fortuna had a huge 7–1 victory against Bayern Munich. This is still Bayern's biggest away defeat in Bundesliga history.
Fortuna also continued to do well in the DFB-Pokal. After losing their fifth final in 1978 to local rivals 1. FC Köln, they finally won the cup in 1979, beating Hertha BSC 1–0. They won it again in 1980, with a 2–1 victory over 1. FC Köln. During this time, they set a record by winning 18 DFB-Pokal matches in a row between 1978 and 1981.
Fortuna Düsseldorf has reached the DFB-Pokal final many times, but has only won it twice, losing five times. Four of their losses were by just one goal, and two of those were in extra time.
The club's best performance in a European competition was in the 1979 European Cup Winners' Cup Final. They were runners-up, losing 4–3 to Barcelona in extra time in an exciting match.
Many of Fortuna's successful players during this time were from Düsseldorf or became famous while playing for the club. These included the famous Allofs brothers, Klaus Allofs and Thomas Allofs, and players like Gerd Zewe, Dieter Herzog, and Rudi Bommer.
From the 1980s to the New Century
After being moved down a league in 1987, Fortuna Düsseldorf moved between different leagues. They spent five more seasons in the Bundesliga from 1989–92 (after winning the 2nd Bundesliga in 1988–89) and again from 1995–97. They even dropped as low as the Oberliga Nordrhein (the fourth division) from 2002–04. In 2001, the club almost dropped even further due to money problems. However, they managed to get their finances in order. From 2001 to 2003, the German punk rock band Die Toten Hosen even sponsored the club.
Recent Seasons: Ups and Downs
In the 2008–09 season, Fortuna played in the new 3. Liga. They finished second and were automatically promoted to the 2. Bundesliga. In their first season back, 2009–10, they finished fourth. They were the only team in the top three German leagues that season to not lose a single home game.
The 2010–11 season started badly for Fortuna, as they lost their first six matches. But they bounced back and finished seventh. The 2011–12 season was much better. Fortuna was in first place at the halfway point, with 12 wins, 5 draws, and no losses. This gave fans hope for a return to the Bundesliga. The second half of the season was tougher, and they finished third. However, this was enough to play in a two-game playoff against Hertha BSC to get into the Bundesliga. Fortuna won the first game 2–1 in Berlin and drew the second game in Düsseldorf, which meant they were promoted!
This promotion was special for team captain Andreas Lambertz. He became the first player in German football history to be promoted three times with the same club, from the fourth division all the way to the Bundesliga.
Fortuna started the 2012–13 Bundesliga season well, being fifth after five games. But their performance dropped, and they didn't win any of their last eight matches. On the final day of the season, they lost 0–3 to Hannover 96. Other results meant Fortuna dropped to 17th place and were moved back down to the 2. Bundesliga. This poor performance led to their coach, Norbert Meier, being dismissed.
From 2013 to 2017, Fortuna spent time in the middle of the 2. Bundesliga table, often fighting to avoid being moved down again. They had several coaching changes during these years.
In March 2016, Friedhelm Funkel became the coach. His first game was a 4–3 win, ending a long winless streak. Funkel brought more stability and success to the club.
At the start of the 2017–18 season, Fortuna lost some key players and their assistant coach. Despite this, they started very strongly, reaching first place by the fourth game. They stayed in the top three for the rest of the season. Strong play from players like Raphael Wolf, Benito Raman, and Rouwen Hennings helped them. Fortuna won their next two matches in April, securing promotion back to the Bundesliga. In the final game, they beat 1. FC Nürnberg 3–2, winning the 2. Bundesliga Championship. This was Funkel's sixth promotion as a coach, a German record!
Fortuna Düsseldorf's return to the top league in 2018–19 was very exciting for their fans. The first half of the season had mixed results. They played very well against top teams, drawing with Leipzig and beating Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund. A memorable moment was a 3–3 draw against defending champions Bayern Munich, where Dodi Lukebakio scored all three goals for Fortuna. However, they struggled against teams lower in the table. They finished the first half of the season in 14th place after three straight wins.
The second half of the season was better. Fortuna had good away wins and some great home victories, including a 4–1 win over Werder Bremen and a 3–1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. They finished 10th in the Bundesliga, their highest league finish since the 1989–90 season.
Sponsorship
For the 2017–18 season, the online sports betting website Tipbet continued its support as a Premium Partner of Fortuna. This partnership included marketing campaigns and regular promotions.
Players
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Fortuna Düsseldorf II (Reserve Team)
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Club Achievements and Trophies
Fortuna Düsseldorf has won several important titles:
National Championships
- German Championship:
- Winners: 1933
- Runners-up: 1936
- 2. Bundesliga (Second Division):
- Winners: 1988–89, 2017–18
- Regionalliga West (Second Division):
- Winners: 1965–66
- Oberliga Nordrhein (Third Division):
- Winners: 1993–94
Cup Competitions
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup):
- Winners: 1978–79, 1979–80
- Runners-up: 1936–37, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1977–78
International Competitions
- European Cup Winners' Cup:
- Runners-up: 1978–79
- Intertoto Cup:
- Winners: 1967, 1984, 1986
- Trophy Ciudad de Palma: 1989
Regional Titles
- Western German Championship: 1930–31
- Gauliga Niederrhein/Berg-Mark: 1926–27, 1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1946–47
- Western German Cup: 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1970–71
Reserve Team Achievements
- German amateur football championship: 1976–77
League Performance Over the Years
Fortuna Düsseldorf has played in many different leagues throughout its history. Here's a look at some of their league journeys:
- 1913–1914: C-Klasse (3rd tier) – Champions: 1914
- 1914–1918: B-Klasse (2nd tier) – Champions: 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918
- 1918–1919: A-Klasse (1st tier)
- 1919–1920: A-Klasse (2nd tier) – Champions: 1920
- 1920–1921: Gauliga Berg Mark (1st tier)
- 1921–1922: A-Klasse (2nd tier)
- 1922–1933: Gauliga Berg Mark (1st tier) – Champions: 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933
- 1933–1942: Gauliga Niederrhein (1st tier) – Champions: 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940
- 1942–1943: Bezirksklasse (2nd tier) – Champions: 1943
- 1943–1944: Gauliga Niederrhein (1st tier)
- 1944–1946: No games due to World War II
- 1946–1947: Bezirksliga Berg Mark (1st tier) – Champions: 1947
- 1947–1949: Oberliga West (1st tier)
- 1949–1950: 2. Liga West (2nd tier)
- 1950–1960: Oberliga West (1st tier)
- 1960–1961: 2. Liga West (2nd tier)
- 1961–1963: Oberliga West (1st tier)
- 1963–1966: Regionalliga West (2nd tier) – Champions: 1966
- 1966–1967: Bundesliga (1st tier)
- 1967–1971: Regionalliga West (2nd tier)
- 1971–1987: Bundesliga (1st tier)
- 1987–1989: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier) – Champions: 1989
- 1989–1992: Bundesliga (1st tier)
- 1992–1993: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)
- 1993–1994: Oberliga Nordrhein (3rd tier) – Champions: 1994
- 1994–1995: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)
- 1995–1997: Bundesliga (1st tier)
- 1997–1999: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)
- 1999–2000: Regionalliga West/Südwest (3rd tier)
- 2000–2002: Regionalliga Nord (3rd tier)
- 2002–2004: Oberliga Nordrhein (4th tier)
- 2004–2008: Regionalliga Nord (3rd tier)
- 2008–2009: 3. Liga (3rd tier)
- 2009–2012: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)
- 2012–2013: Bundesliga (1st tier)
- 2013–2018: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier) – Champions: 2018
- 2018–2020: Bundesliga (1st tier)
- 2020–present: 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier)
Recent Seasons (Last Five Years)
| Season | League | Tier | Position | DFB-Pokal | Av. Home Attendance | Top Scorer(s) |
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| 2020–21 | 2. Bundesliga | 2 | 5th | Round 2 | 441 |  Rouwen Hennings (9) |
| 2021–22 | 2. Bundesliga | 2 | 10th | Round 2 | 17,526 | Rouwen Hennings (13) |
| 2022–23 | 2. Bundesliga | 2 | 4th | Round of 16 | 29,420 |  Dawid Kownacki (14) |
| 2023–24 | 2. Bundesliga | 2 | 3rd | Semifinals | 39,672 |  Christos Tzolis (22) |
| 2024–25 | 2. Bundesliga | 2 | 6th | Round 1 | 41,431 | Dawid Kownacki (13) |
Notable Players
Players Who Played for Germany
Twenty-five players from Fortuna Düsseldorf have played for the German national side. Most of them made their first national team appearance while playing for Fortuna.
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Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
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| Head coach | Daniel Thioune |
| Assistant coach | Manfred Stefes Jan Hoepner |
| Goalkeeper coach | Christoph Semmler |
| Mental Coach | Axel Zehle |
| Athletic Coach | Andreas Gross Engin Cicem |
| Video analyst | Jonas Bergerhoff |
| Match analyst | Benjamin Fischer |
| Sporting director | Christian Weber |
| Head of first-team football | Sascha Rösler |
| Scout |  Goran Vucic |
| Head of Youth Scouting | Felix Braunegger |
| Director of youth department | Michael Rensing |
| Doctor | Dr. Ulf Blecker |
| Physiotherapist | Marcel Verstappen Frank Hörstmann |
| Head of media and communications | Tino Polster |
| Team official | Oliver Paashaus |
| Team manager | Axel Bellinghausen |
| Kit manager | Tom Wirtz |
| Club representative | Egon Köhnen |
| Head of administration | Torge Hollmann |
| Academy staff | Oliver Fink |
Coaches Through the Years
- Kuno Klötzer (July 1963 – June 1967)
- Otto Knefler (July 1968 – June 1970)
- Heinz Lucas (July 1970 – April 1975)
- Manfred Krafft (April 1975 – April 1976)
- Sepp Piontek (July 1975 – April 1976)
- Dietrich Weise (July 1976 – June 1978)
- Hans-Dieter Tippenhauer (July 1978 – October 1979)
- Otto Rehhagel (October 1979 – December 1980)
- Heinz Höher (December 1980 – June 1981)
- Jörg Berger (July 1981 – October 1982)
- Willibert Kremer (October 1982 – April 1985)
- Dieter Brei (April 1985 – April 1987)
- Gerd Meyer (April 1987 – June 1987)
Aleksandar Ristić (July 1987 – December 1990)
Josef Hickersberger (December 1990 – August 1991)- Rolf Schafstall (August 1991 – January 1992)
- Hans-Jürgen Gede (January 1992 – March 1992)
- Horst Köppel (January 1992 – August 1992)
- Rudolf Wojtowicz (interim) (August 1992)
- Aleksandar Ristić (August 1992 – November 1996)
- Rudolf Wojtowicz (November 1996 – September 1997)
- Uli Maslo (September 1997 – April 1998)
- Enver Marić (interim) (April 1998 – June 1998)
- Klaus Allofs (July 1998 – April 1999)
- Peter Neururer (April 1999 – June 1999)
- Jürgen Gelsdorf (July 1999 – May 2000)
Tim Kamp (interim) (May 2000 – June 2000)- Aleksandar Ristić (July 2000 – January 2001)
- Uwe Fuchs (January –April 2001)
- Tim Kamp (April 2001 – April 2002)
- Stefan Emmerling (April –June 2002)
- Slavko Petrović (July 2002 – May 2003)
- Uwe Weidemann (May –June 2003)
Massimo Morales (July 2003 – November 2004)- Uwe Weidemann (November 2004 – November 2007)
- Wolf Werner (interim) (November –December 2007)
- Norbert Meier (January 2008 – June 2013)
- Mike Büskens (June – November 2013)
- Oliver Reck (interim) (November and December 2013)
- Lorenz-Günther Köstner (January 2014 – June 2014)
- Oliver Reck (June 2014 – February 2015)
- Taşkın Aksoy (interim) (April 2015 – June 2015)
- Frank Kramer (July 2015 – November 2015)
- Peter Hermann (interim) (November 2015 – December 2015)
- Marco Kurz (December 2015 – March 2016)
- Friedhelm Funkel (March 2016 – January 2020)
- Uwe Rösler (January 2020 – June 2021)
- Christian Preußer (July 2021 – February 2022)
- Daniel Thioune (February 2022 – )
Stadiums Fortuna Düsseldorf Has Played In
Fortuna Düsseldorf has played its home games in several stadiums:
- Lichtplatz (1908–1919)
- Vennhauser Straße (1919–1930)
- Paul-Janes-Stadion (1930–53, 1970–72, 1975–76, 2002–05, 2005–07)
- Rheinstadion (1953–70, 1972–2002)
- LTU Arena/Esprit Arena/Merkur Spiel-Arena (since 2005)
- Lena-Arena (April–May 2011)
Club Records and Firsts
- 1928: Fortuna was the first German team to visit Africa for friendly football matches.
- 1960: They were the first German team to sign an African player, Charles Gyamfi.
- December 7, 1978: Fortuna won 7–1 against Bayern Munich. This is still Bayern's biggest away defeat in Bundesliga history.
- 1978–1981: Fortuna set a record for winning 18 DFB-Pokal matches in a row.
- 2009: Fortuna set a record for attendance in Germany's third-tier football. 50,095 fans watched them win 1–0 against Werder Bremen U23, which led to their promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.
Rivalries and Fan Culture
Fortuna Düsseldorf has a strong rivalry with 1. FC Köln. This is because Düsseldorf and Cologne are close cities and have a long history of competition. However, these teams have not played in the same league very often in recent years. The last time they met in competitive matches was in the 2013–14 season.
Other historic rivals for Fortuna include Rot-Weiss Essen, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and Wuppertaler SV. In the 1970s, all four clubs played in the Bundesliga. While Essen and Wuppertal are now in lower leagues, Bayer Leverkusen has become a very strong team. Some Düsseldorf fans criticize Leverkusen because of their financial support from a large company, calling them "plastic" and saying they lack tradition. When Fortuna played in the Second Division, their games against MSV Duisburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach were also big rivalries, known as "Lower Rhein Derbys."
Fortuna also has a competitive rivalry with FC Bayern Munich, even though Fortuna has not challenged for the Bundesliga championship since the 1970s. Matches between them are often exciting. In 1975, Fortuna came back from being down 4–2 at halftime to win 6–5. On December 9, 1978, Fortuna defeated Bayern 7–1, which is still Bayern's worst-ever away loss. The band Die Toten Hosen, who are big Fortuna fans, even have a song called "Bayern" that celebrates Fortuna's success against them.
Fortuna Düsseldorf has a special connection with the English club Ipswich Town. Their fans visit each other's home games every year.
Fortuna Düsseldorf has a very passionate fan base. Supporters in the stadium's "ultra" section are known for their amazing displays and strong support for the club.
Members of the band Die Toten Hosen, including lead singer Campino, often attend Fortuna matches. The band is highly respected by the club because they were sponsors during the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons when the club was facing financial difficulties.
Futsal Department
Since June 1, 2015, Fortuna Düsseldorf has a futsal department. Futsal is a type of indoor football. This department has grown to be one of the strongest in Germany. They won the Futsalliga West in the 2020–21 season and were one of the founding teams of the Futsal Bundesliga.
See also
In Spanish: Fortuna Düsseldorf para niños
